Drinking water service usage in Botswana
Botswana: Drinking water service usage was 63.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage in Botswana, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drinking water service usage in Botswana is 63.3%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Botswana peaked at 70.5% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 59.2%, in 2000.
That places Botswana 112th out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 59.2% | — |
| 2001 | 59.6% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 59.8% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 60.0% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 60.2% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 60.4% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 61.7% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 63.5% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 65.3% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 67.1% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 68.8% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 70.5% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 70.4% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 69.9% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 69.3% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 68.7% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 68.1% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 67.6% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 67.0% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 66.4% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 65.8% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 65.1% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 64.5% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 63.9% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 63.3% | -1.0% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 63.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 69.0%, 92% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 63.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.4%, 2.3× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 61.7% | 59.2% | 67.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.7% | 66.4% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.5% | 63.3% | 65.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More environment data for Botswana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 6.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 6.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.381 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.443 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -4.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.3323 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Botswana?
- Drinking water service usage in Botswana was 63.3% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water service usage recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 70.5% in 2011.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.2% in 2000.
- How does Botswana rank for drinking water service usage?
- Botswana ranks 112th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water service usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.